Riyadh: The 16th edition of the Ibdaa Science and Engineering Fair will launch next Sunday. Organized by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba), in strategic partnership with the Ministry of Education, the fair will be held at the Princess Nouf bint Abdulaziz International Conference Center and will run until January 29.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the fair, which represents the fifth stage of the National Olympiad for Scientific Creativity 'Ibdaa 2026,' will feature 200 scientific projects presented by students who qualified from the central exhibition phase, across 22 scientific fields. The projects were selected from more than 34,000 submissions to the Olympiad.
A total of 68 male and female winners will qualify to represent the Kingdom in a number of international and regional exhibitions and competitions, including the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in the United States, as well as ITEX in Malaysia and TAISEF in Taiwan.
The fair will be accompanied by several activities, including workshops and scientific and educational lectures, in addition to awareness and informational pavilions for Mawhiba and a number of knowledge partners. These activities aim to enrich visitors' experience, promote awareness of research and innovation culture, and highlight national initiatives and programs that support giftedness and creativity.
'Ibdaa 2026' comes as an extension of the efforts of Mawhiba and the Ministry of Education to support talent and innovation and strengthen the culture of scientific research among general education students, contributing to the preparation of a national generation capable of supporting the knowledge economy and achieving the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.